Fitness Myth-buster: SPOT REDUCTION

Here’s the truth--

The theory behind spot reduction is that you can perform certain exercises to reduce fat from a particular body part. Example: crunches to lose fat in the abdominal area.

Unfortunately, years of scientific research has proven that not to be true. The myth persists mainly due to infomercials and slick marketing trying to push ridiculous fat loss products on you just to make a quick buck...thigh master or shake weight, anyone?

1,000’s of daily crunches aren’t the answer to your waistline woes and I’m glad because who wants to do 1,000’s of crunches? Not me. You know what will reduce the belly fat? What really works first and foremost, is...drum roll...cleaning up the diet. Yeah, I know—not the sexy answer that anyone wants to hear. Ironically I’m afraid most people would rather do 1,000’s of crunches rather than revamp what they eat and drink. Personally, I think focusing on making a few nutritional changes is way easier than doing 1,000 crunches. And let’s be real, even if 1,000 crunches were the answer...you still wouldn’t do them, would you?! Exercise is of course also part of the solution in addition to nutrition (but it’s way more than just crunches that you need). You’ve got to CONSISTENTLY (that means a regular routine) get your heart pumping with cardio and pump some iron!

Here are just a few of the most impactful nutrition tips I could think of on how to really whittle your middle:

My Top 5 in no particular order--

Tip 1: it’s a BIGGIE—Cut the refined sugar consumption. Did you know that excess sugar consumption may be the primary driver of excess fat in the belly and liver?! That’s right! This is particularly true of sugary beverages like soft drinks and other sugar laden beverages—like sweet tea here in Charleston. OR what are you putting in your coffee?

Tip 2: Do you get enough protein? Eating plenty of protein can boost your metabolism and reduce hunger levels, making it a very effective way to lose weight. Several studies suggest that protein is particularly effective against belly fat accumulation.

Tip 3: Increase consumption of vegetables and get plenty of fiber. There is some evidence that soluble dietary fiber can lead to reduced amounts of belly fat. This should cause major improvements in metabolic health and reduced risk of several diseases.

Tips 4 and 5 combined: Cut out the fried food and watch the booze. Booze is a major belly buster—and it packs on the worst kind of belly fat—visceral abdominal fat...the killer fat that surrounds your organs. I do imbibe on occasion, but the occasions are few and far between...there are multiple reasons I reserve imbibing for the occasional social call—in addition to being empty calories and promoting fat storage, alcohol also impairs muscle protein synthesis and I can’t bare the thought of hampering my muscle building efforts! Think about that next time you follow up a gym session with happy hour.

Make small, incremental changes over time—it doesn’t have to be overnight or 20 changes all at once. Example: Week 1, swap the soda or sweet tea for water. Week 2, add a serving of lean protein each day (if you aren’t already getting adequate protein). Week 3, strive for 5 (servings of fruits & vegetables). You get the idea. Focus on adding one new change each week. When I first started my health improvement journey years ago, since my focus was heart health, my very first change was eliminating fried foods—it was initially hard (I was admittedly a French Fry lover), but now the smell of fried food is repulsive to me. Find a new, healthier way to enjoy your favorite foods. I still eat “fries”, but we make baked (instead of fried) sweet potato fries. I honestly enjoy these much more than I ever enjoyed regular french fries.

Even if making a healthy change seems hard initially, your body will adapt and respond favorably over time—it will thank you for fueling it better by feeling and performing better!

The truth is, everyone has areas on their body where fat may be distributed unevenly. For women, it's usually in the hips, thighs and arms. For men, it's typically seen in the stomach or lower back.

The *only* way to improve its appearance is by increasing the muscle mass in the targeted area while reducing the fat. For the body part to take shape and look "toned," you have to build muscle in the desired area by consistently lifting weights and partaking in a well structured, healthy diet.

So, while you may not be able to target where the fat comes off (spot reduce), you can certainly improve a body part’s appearance through a well designed strength training routine.

So, for my ladies with the arm jiggle questions—here’s the truth on arm flab—flabby arms are due to a combo of factors associated with aging and genetics (an increase in body fat mass, a loss of muscle mass (due to aging and reduced activity) and a loss of elasticity in the skin (due to both aging and UV damage)—it may be honestly difficult to completely avoid or correct this 100%, BUT you can significantly improve it! How? Lifting (as in weights)—did you know that the tricep muscle makes up 2/3 of the muscle mass in the upper arm? That’s 66%! Imagine how your arms would change if you built that up! If (in addition to improved nutrition and regular cardio to decrease overall body fat) you implement a consistent, well designed strength training regimen including building up that tricep muscle mass, you can fight flabby arms and make significant improvements to this area. Fill that space with muscle mass and you’ll see things literally taking shape!

Stall bars—we have some up at the MUSC Wellness Center on the rooftop in the functional training area. I’ll bet you’re wondering what in the world to do with them—the answer is LOTS of stuff! Stall bars can be used for a great abdominal strengthening workout.

​Hanging leg raises on stall bars are one of the best exercises you can do for abs—One of the reasons why stall bars are an awesome tool for hanging leg raises compared to doing them hanging from a pull-up bar, is because it is almost impossible cheat. With a bar you can cheat by swinging the legs backwards for momentum, but with the stall bar, your back is supported by a wall and cheating won't be easy.


To modify, just bend the legs (hanging knee raises are slightly easier than straight leg raises). In a controlled fashion, roll your torso upwards, bringing your knees toward your torso. Slowly reverse this motion without allowing your knees to become un-tucked from your body. Don't use momentum or jerk your body at any point.


Tip for knee/leg raises—tuck your pelvis and you’ll better target your abs!


Dragon flags are one of the more serious abdominal feats of strength that you can do, and it was a signature Bruce Lee exercise for good reason—they will definitely work your abdominals to the extreme.


If performing the full dragon flag is too difficult for you, you can begin with tuck dragon flags (bend the legs as opposed to keeping them straight). If these are still too difficult, then you can focus on building strength with the hanging knee/leg raise progressions or by doing lying leg/knee raises.


Dragon Flags can also be done on a flat or decline bench.


Dragon Flag Technique Tips—Raise your feet upward until your body is almost vertical (your shoulder blades will stay planted on the ground or bench).
Keep your core tight and your body as straight as possible while pointing (heels to sky) up in the air. KEY—SLOWLY lower your feet under control until they are just above the ground or bench, or as far as you can to start. Lift your legs back up in the air again to complete a rep.


These are just a few cool things you can do using the stall bars—give them a try!

Natural Sugar vs Refined Sugar:
Sugar is sugar - in all forms, it’s a simple carbohydrate, but the difference is in the nutritional value and what these impacts can have on the body!
When you compare sugar from whole foods to refined sugar - they aren't created equally. Simply avoiding fruits because they contain “sugar” is a misinterpretation of their nutritional value.
Whole foods like fruit do contain sugar, but fruit also has an abundance of vitamins, minerals, fiber, water and antioxidants.
Refined sugar comes under many names: white sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, coconut sugar, palm sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, etc. These sugars come from mainly plants but have been processed in some way to a simple, sweet form, thus they are processed or refined. They are commonly added to foods to enhance flavor.
Unlike natural sugars which are found naturally in many foods we eat, including fruits, dairy products, grains, and veggies, refined sugars lack any significant nutritional value.
While the body breaks down all sugars the same way—whether you’re getting your fix from banana pudding or a banana—the metabolic process actually differs...the process for natural fruit sugar is much slower.
Foods high in refined sugars like breakfast cereal, white bread, high fructose corn syrup etc. will increase blood sugar and insulin levels much faster. Quick rises in blood glucose levels, followed by a big insulin spike leads to a subsequent crash which creates more sugar cravings to cure the crash...it’s a vicious cycle. Diets high in refined sugar are shown to increase body fat and increase one’s risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
FIBER is a huge key. When you eat sugar from fruit, the fiber that comes with it will slow down the absorption rate of sugar. This is why natural sugars found in whole foods don’t increase blood sugar levels as fast as refined sugar. Another tip to help slow down the absorption of the fruit even more is to pair your fruit with a meal, including a protein.
Berries such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries are lowest in natural sugar, while the highest are dried fruits, bananas, and mangoes. Fruit juice also tends to be high in sugar, so opt for whole fruit instead. Even if you consume the same number of calories from whole fruit and juice, the metabolic effects are very different. Metabolically speaking, juice is much more similar to soda than it is to whole fruit.
How many servings per day are recommended?
​2-4 servings of fruit (note: certain people with insulin resistance, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome may see improvements by restricting fruit intake to 1-2 servings a day, and by choosing fruits that are lower in sugar).
The bottom line on natural sugars vs. refined/processed sugars: Fruits/veggies will provide you with numerous nutrients, disease-fighting compounds and fiber, but added sugars will supply you only with added pounds around your waistline.